SHS diplomats do well at U.N. simulation

SOMERSET — Three students from Somerset High School won awards at a Model United Nations Conference held at Brown University from Nov. 9 to Nov. 11.

Alexandra Camara earned an outstanding delegate award while Bryan Haworth and Andrew Lanneville were given commendations at the conference.

"It was an extraordinary performance," Nicholas Peachy, the Somerset High School teacher who is the advisor to the students who attend Model U.N. conferences, said. "Brown is very competitive. It draws some of the best schools from the East Coast. For three of our kids to win awards is an exceptional accomplishment."

Mr. Peachy said 46 students from the high school attended the conference, which was the largest group he has ever brought to a Model U.N. Conference.

"A lot of them were rookies, first timers, but I thought all of them did well," Mr. Peachy said.

Mr. Peachy said he always asks the organizers of the conference to assign developing countries to his students because they spend a lot of time studying African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries.

Camara had attended the Model U.N. conferences before, but this was the first time that she was a member of the press corps.

"It's a lot different," Camara said. "There's a lot more freedom in the press corps. You go out and do your interviews and articles."

Camara wrote about the opening ceremony of the conference and the directors who run the committees. The editor of the Brown University student newspaper critiqued the articles. Camara also did a lot of photography for the press corps.

"All the delegates are from all around the United States, so it's interesting to see how they feel about the experience," Camara said.

Haworth represented Jamaica in a Disarmament in International Security Committee of over 60 students. He said his strategy for the conference was to establish himself as a leader early in the conference. He said there can be some some dirty players at the Model U.N. conferences who try to steal the ideas of other students.

Haworth said small arms and weapons of mass destruction were discussed in his committee. He wrote two resolutions, but they failed to pass. He said his resolutions centered around enforcement or incentives for countries that comply to rules for weapons. He said he tried to get sanctions passed for western countries that do not comply with disarmament and weapons inspections measures.

Haworth said he tried to keep his resolutions realistic, but he said it is tough coming from a western power to represent the ideas and views of a much smaller country. Students who attend the conferences are expected to research the countries beforehand so that they can represent the nations as if they would be represented by their own delegates.

"You learn a lot about the plights of smaller nations," Haworth said of what he gets out of the Model U.N. conferences. "We definitely don't see that in the United States."

Lanneville represented Turkey on a crisis committee. They were given scenarios that they had to deal with in the Middle East, including what they would do if the leader of Pakistan was assassinated. Lanneville said the students came up with quick solutions to the problems which they were supposed to be treating as if they were happening in 2008 under the conditions that exist in the world today.

Lanneville said most of what the students did was respond to crises, rather than dealing with the issues before they escalated to major conflicts, which he said is what happens with NATO today.

"I definitely learned a lot about politics," Lanneville said. "It really does teach you how aggravating and frustrating it can be to be involved in politics and diplomacy. It takes a really gifted person to be a good politician or a good diplomat."

Lanneville is a veteran of Model U.N. conferences. He said it takes a lot of knowledge of current issues to do well at the conferences. He said if students do not know what they are talking about, they will look foolish. He said those who participate in the conferences need to be level headed and be good at problem solving.

"I've had good experiences before, but this was the best," Lanneville said of the Brown conference. "It was the most interesting. All the committees were very thorough. They were very informed. it was a very realistic simulation."

All three of the students who won awards are seniors at the high school. Camara is interested in studying journalism in college. Haworth would like to study business and Lanneville wants to major in foreign affairs.

Somerset students will attend a Model U.N. conference at Northeastern University in the spring.

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